Jon Daly is a victim of circumstance.

He is a free agent in the summer, his club revealed that Rangers informed them of their intention to speak to him, and so now what would normally be a private consideration for him is public knowledge. The Dundee United striker has spoken to Ally McCoist, and his agent is awaiting an offer from the Ibrox club. Meanwhile, Daly has to address the situation he finds himself in.

There is little point in trying to evade the issue. "It was nice to speak to Ally," he said. "He's a manager I've always had a lot of time for and I'm flattered that he's interested in me."

Daly is one of a number of Clydesdale Bank Premier League players who are out of contract in the summer, and so can sign for Rangers as free agents when the club's registration embargo is lifted on September 1. Cammy Bell, the Kilmarnock goalkeeper, is expected to join the club, while Nicky Law, Tom Hateley and Murray Davidson have all been linked with moves to Rangers.

Daly impressed the Ibrox management team in the recent Scottish Cup tie between the two clubs, when he commanded Rangers' two centre-backs and allowed United to build all of their attacking play around him. He fits into the wage structure, too, since he can receive a pay increase without stretching Rangers' resources.

No other suitor – and Daly says that several clubs are interested in him – will be in a position to match Rangers' offer, or provide the opportunity to play in front of the kind of crowds that fill Ibrox.

"I've left things with my agent and until I hear back from him I don't know where we're at," said Daly. It is clear enough, though, that the prospect of a move to Rangers is enticing. He would have to drop down the divisions, but any player moving to Ibrox will have to accept that the purpose is to contribute to the club's return up the leagues.

"Is the lower division aspect a deal-breaker? Of course not," Daly said. "If Manchester United were playing in League One, would players turn them down? Probably not. Rangers are a massive club in Scotland and one of the biggest in Britain. I'm flattered they are interested in me and we will wait and see what happens. I'm just concentrating on the rest of this season at the moment. And making sure that [United] finish top six and keep up standards. I leave it to my agent and if I do the business on the park then it will hopefully give me more options."

Rangers have yet to make an offer, so the prospect of Daly moving to Ibrox remains hypothetical. Even so, he has considered every aspect of the potential move. Daly would become the first player born in the Republic of Ireland to play for Rangers' first team in the modern era. Alan Smith, a Republic of Ireland youth internationalist, is a regular in the Ibrox club's under-19 side, though.

"I'm well aware [of] that," he said. "I've spoken to my family. If it was to happen, then it isn't an issue. It could be good for Rangers. If they do sign an Irish player it could open the door for a few more to go – and open a whole new market for them. There's nothing happening yet, so we will wait and see. If my agent comes back to me in the next week with an offer from them, we will think about it and see where we go from there."

The move would be financially attractive for Daly, but he has not yet ruled out staying at United. The Tannadice club offered him a year's extension at the beginning of the season, but Daly would prefer longer-term security.

Murray Davidson is in the same position at St Johnstone, and was once the subject of a transfer offer from Rangers that was turned down. That was two years ago, but he might yet attract similar attention.

"There has been interest there in the past and that will probably be thrown up again because they placed a bid in for me," he said. "If there is still an interest, I will discuss that when I feel the time is right. But I want to go and play at the highest level possible. It's pretty obvious Rangers are not playing at the level I am playing at right now. So I would be dropping down a level.

"As I say, there are seven or eight things you consider and that would be a big factor when I weigh up my options in the summer."

Davidson is as well to keep his options open as Derek McInnes, the former St Johnstone manager and now the man calling the shots at Aberdeen, is interested in signing the midfielder.

McInnes is drawing up a list of potential signing targets and is weighing-up a move for the player he bought from Livingston, along with Perth captain Dave Mackay, for £50,000.Now he has pinpointed Davidson as the man to add steel to the Aberdeen midfield.